Paul Hendrick took a deep breath.

Here goes.

He pressed the tweet button on his device and announced to the universe that his career covering the Maple Leafs on a full-time basis had come to an end. The 63-year-old wrote that he was stepping away from his job with Leafs Nation Network, and then he thanked everyone from the owners to the fans.

It was an emotional decision, he said in an interview a few hours later. But my iPad and phone have been dinging consistently for a couple of hours now.

Hendrick has been with the channel from its earliest days, from when it carried live games and marathon pregame shows to its evolution into the digital media space. He broadcast from morning practice, from postgame scrums and from everywhere in between.

Part of his decision was borne from a need to slow down. His wife, Dr. Alicia Sarabia, has been living with cancer. She is an infectious diseases...

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'It was an emotional decision': Paul Hendrick on leaving Leafs Nation Network - The Athletic